If Nehemiah was going to succeed in his quest to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, he needed money. And to get that, he needed the backing of his boss, the king. So he prayed for the king’s favour. It was a bold prayer, and it wasn’t one that was answered overnight. But Nehemiah didn’t just sit around waiting. He put together a plan, assembled a team, and scheduled a date to begin the work. That way when the king said yes, he was ready to move. Some people think ‘if God’s going to do something, why should we do anything?’ Others think they don’t need God at all, so they try to do it all on their own. But both extremes are wrong. Sometimes God has to balance what He’s doing in your life with what He’s doing in somebody else’s life, so that ‘all things work together for good’ (Romans 8:28 KJV). Nehemiah had to be patient. Waiting for the king to provide the funding he needed was going to take a while. But he was confident that God would provide. The Bible says, ‘the king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes’ (Proverbs 21:1 NASB). Nehemiah exercised bold confidence in God’s willingness to provide. Nehemiah also understood that while he was waiting, it was his responsibility to prepare and set things in place so that when God gave him the green light, he was ready to move. This needed faith – and wisdom. So when you’re waiting for His answer, don’t stand still – have confidence, trust God, and get preparing.
What Now?
If you’re waiting for an answer, ask God to show you what practical preparations you can be making while you’re waiting. Then get preparing.
